When it comes to Mediterranean food, its Greek to me. Sometimes, that means literally. Unless wandering around Astoria in Queens, Greek food may not be the go-to answer when it comes to deciding what to have for dinner in New York. Nisi, the Greek restaurant new to Bleecker Street in the West Village, breaks down those walls with a grand gesture of bountiful portions, delicious dishes, and wine that feels as though the glass never empties in a fashion that feels more like an ancient festival than it does modern dining.

For those already fluent in Greek cuisine, this menu comes as the standard issue Greek restaurant on paper. For the rest of us, Nisi offers an incredibly friendly wait staff to help parse through the differences in the word-salad that is a Greek menu. There is some difficulty in ordering, by not knowing which dishes are worth getting two of as opposed to being big enough in portion to fill two or three people. (To be fair to Nisi, that’s more an issue with the New York restaurant scene overall not being congruent than it is Nisi in particular.) When dishes do come to the table though, each one is a knockout punch. From spanakopita spinach pies to perfectly sharp tzatziki dip, Nisi is well worth the translating. Small plates are the real star of the show though, with sharable portions that still feel really filling. While a pasta or chicken may be similar in other places, nowhere in the neighborhood is cooking up Greek dishes and perfectly seasoned Greek plates like Nisi is.

The Dionysiad wouldn’t be complete thought without wine. Nisi has an immense wine list for a restaurant of its nature, with a really knowledgeable staff who can helpfully pair any dish to the proper wine, and balance that suggestion with any diner’s personal preferences in mind. For anyone out on the town looking for a Mediterranean vibe to get back to summer mode, Nisi is a great choice.